Plating machine



W. DIETZEL PLATING MACHINE Aug. 428, v1923.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fied Feb. 18, 1920 ATTORNEYS kll() Patented aug. es, 1923. y

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rss Parser ferries.

, WILLIAM DIET/Zur., or Mannion, nii-w YORK.

4murrine Macniivn.

Application led February 18, 1920. Serial No. 359,638. v

lowing is a iull.y clear', and exact description.KV

This invention relatesfto a machine for .treating articles to be plated, and has or an kbut showing a further modified form of contact strip. .Y .Y

to the accompanying drawing object the yprovision'of a construction which is specially adapted for plating small ar-k ticles deposited inthe machine but capable of acting as a picklingmachine.. L f

Another object ofthe invention .is to provide` an improved construction utilizing a spiral trough for tumbling articles during plating, so that a continuous operation may be performed and articles may be continus ously fed in atene endand discharged at the other end completely plated.

A still further object of the invention isto 'i provide an improved plating machinein which Vthe articles to be plated are ted in at one end in an unplated condition. aiid'discharged at the opposite end in a plated con! dition with means interposed between the ends for causing theA articles being plated to remain in substantially the richest part of the plating solution'as the articles move 'from j one end of the machine to the other. Yln the accompanying drawing;-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of aplating' machine disclosing an embodiment ofthe invention; i

Figure-Eis an end view shown in Figure 1;

Figure l 3 `is a transverse sectional view through 'Figure 1 on the line 3 3 Figure il; is aflongitudinal7 vertical, sec-L tional view through f Figure 1 on the Yline ete-4F;

Figure journals shown in Fig. 4 and a gearV wheel connected therewith 'illustrating how the'. insulated from its drivingV tional view through Figure 7 on the line 6-6; l l L Figure 7 is a detaliragmentary sectional view through the discharge end of the con` veyor shown in Figpl the same to beltaken on the line 7 7 of Figures 1 and 6;

Figure 8 is a view similar tdFigure 7, but

of the machine is a detail fragmentary, longitw' dinal` sectional view through one of theshowing the discharge end of the conveyor as it is leaving the plating solution; and

' Figure 9 is an enlarged detail Yfragmentary sectionalview .illustrating how the Contact strip in the conveyor is held in place.

Figure k10 is I a detail fragmentary view showing a iiiodiiied forni oie contact strip for the f trough.

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10,

Referring by numeralsy 1 indicates an ordinary tank formed of wood or other desirable material,

designed to receive the plating solution 2.v

This tank or va" 1 is provided with an angle iron iacing 3 on which the journal boxes 4: and aremounteda said journal boxes accommodating thev main or. centra-l shait 6.

This shaft is insulated from the vfacing 3 as illustrated in Fig. 5 whileallowing the shaft to freelyv rotate. It. will be noted that a suitable insulation 8, .isr provided in the bearing boites e and a separate insulation 9 is arranged intcrioily oi the, hub of a gear v.meshes Lwith a kpinion 12 which is connected rigidly to a worin wheel 13 in any desirable .manner as tor instance7 being rigidly se-.

cured to afshai't 5114, and said shaft in'tui'n being Arigidly secured to the Vworin wheel 13. The shaft 14 may be supported in any desirable manner;l estoi' instance by suitable brackets secured to the tank 1. A worm 15 is. provided which continually meshes with the worm wheel 13, said worm having a snait 16 supported in suitablebearing memn bers connected with the tank 1. The shaft 16 carries a pulley 17 at one end as shown in Figurel, so as to receive `power from a beltor other suitable source of power. VIt will bc noted that the arrangemento'f gears is suoli that the shaft 6 is geared fdown to comparatively slowly as shown particularly iny Figures/1 ande. A spiral trough `18 is .rigidly secured to the shaft G so as to rotate therewith, and lthis trough may be constructed of any desirablematerial and be of any desired shape inl cross section, that shown being: rectangular. The trough cara large extent so that the shaft G will rotate llO ries an insulating liner 1) for its full length, said liner being` secured in place in any desii'able manner as for instance by a number of bolts 20. The bolts 20 also pass through a contact plate 2l but is insulated from the metal parts of the trough 1S. The forward end or intake end of the trough i8 is provided with an annular netallic ring 22 which ring is connected to the Contact strip 2l by metallic connectors although said connectors in the ring are insulated from the metallic parts of the trough 1S. il brush 23 is mounted on the facing strip 3 but is insulated therefrom, said brush being mounted so as to be swung into and out of engagement with the ring 22. A chute or inlet trough 24ris supported on the vat l by any desired means as for instance brackets 25,V said trough being covered at inner end and formen with a downward e1;- tending passageway 26 so as to cischarge positively into the trough. An electrical conductor 27 is connected with the brush in any desired manner and a second electrical conductor 28 is connected in any desired manner to a rod 29, which rod is insulated from the facing strip 3 and is provided with an inner end 30 continually in.

electrical contact with the shaft 6. By this construction and arrangement, electric current may pass in through the conductor'2 to the brush 23, from the brush 23 to the contact strip 2l, into the solution 2 and thence pass tl rough an anode 3l, This anode is connected with a suitable hook or other support 32 supported by the shaft liietween suitable stops 33. rlllie current passing from the anode 3l, passes through the hook 82 on to the shaft G, and thence to the end member 30, rod 29 and to the conductor 28. lllhen there is an article or a number of aricles in the trough, the current will pass from the strip 2l to said articles, and thence into the solution before it reachesr the anode 3l. some of the metal content in the solution -will be deposited on the articles to be plated. lt will be observed that the trough 18 is rigidly secured to the shaft 6 through a suitable bracket 34;, which is riveted or otherwise secuied to the trough, said bracliet carrying a post 35 having a bearing member 36 clamped to the shaft G. A suitable insulating sleeve 37 is interposed so that there will be no electrical connection between the shaft and the trough at this point.

In operation, the articles to be plated are fed into the trough 1S through the chute 2l as the trough rotates in the direction of the arrow 3S shown in Figure l, The articles being` plated are gradually forced along the trough from one end to the' other under the action of gravity and by reason of the shape of the trough. As the trough rotates, the articles willV gradually tumble By this actioni to the bottom and in fact will continue to tumble under the action of gravity so as to remain substantially at the bottom of the trough. |This will cause gradual longitudinal movement of the articles from one end of the trough to the other, and the cur rent passing through the machine will produce a plating action as tie articles are thus moved. lllhen the articles reach the discharge end of the trough, they are in a certain sense scooped up on the turned over end section 39 (Figures l and 7 This sec-tion is provided with a number of perforations l() to permit the solutionfto drain freely therefrom while holding the plated articles. is this turned over or scooped endpasses the central upper position, the articles plated carried by said end are forced by gravityon to a discharge platform fil and from thence by gravity to a discharge chute l2, which chute is supporte-'i in any desired manner on the vat l. ln this way upon each revolution of the trough, a certain quantity of plated articles will be discharged automatically. llt will be noted that after the articles are fed into the machine at one end, they are not touched or in any way operated on by the operator until after they have been discharged on to the chute 42. The article discharged on `the chute l2 may be received by 'a traveling 4belt or receiving device so as to be later buifed or otherwise treated as desired.` lt will be observed that the anodes 3l extend into the solution adjacent the bottom of the trough at different points, so that the solution is enriched at the point where the articles being plated. must pass. ln this way the matter being deposited on the articles being plated is merely transferred from the anodes to said articles and the solution 2 is left substantially in its original con` dition continuously. By varying the speed of rotation of the plating trough 18, the

articles being plated may be subjected to the plating action for any desired length of time and in such a way as to use any kind of plating solution'desired. lf desired, the d evice could be used not only as a plating machine, but as a pickling machine, and when so used the anodes and electrical counections could be eliminated or left in place as desired.

lVhen plating miscellaneous objects, especially small objects, the strip 2l is preferably roughened in some manner, as

by a number of raised or pressed out portions 43 (Figure l0), or by the stripl being corrugated as shown in vFigure 11. There the articles are round and will naturally roll the smooth strip shown in Figure 4- will be entirely satisfactory, though for other purposes the roughened strip is more desirable as it allows the solution to come in contact with all parts of the articles and will transport said articles through saidk solution from adjacent one end of the vat to adjacent the oppositeend, means for enriching the solution in a line adjacentthe patlitrai'eled by said articles, and means for causing an electrical .current to pass through said articles as the articles travel.

2. A plating machine comprising a vat for containing a solution, a spirally corn-I structed trough arranged so that part Will be submerged in said solution, means for rotating said shaft continually during plating operations, means for directing articles to be plated into said trough near one end, said trough having a bucket shapedturned over portion at theV opposite end, said portion being perforated whereby it will gather the articles as they approach theV end While allowing the solution to escape, a chute for automatically discharging said articles from said turned over portion, and means for supplying electrical current to said articles as they are moved by said trough. n

3. In an electro-plating: device, a spiral trough formed With an inlet at one end and a discharge opening at the opposite end, a

Toughened Vcontact strip arranged inthe bottom of said trough extending from. one end to near the opposite end, and means for passing a current of electricity` through said contact strip during the plating operation.

4. In a plating machine of the character described, a spirally constructed Atrough formed with an inlet at oneend Vand yan outlet at the opposite end, said troughL being formed roughened or irregular on the bottom so that `the solution used may come in l over said bottom. f

5. Ina plating machine of the character described, a spiral trough formed with an insulation on the interior surface, a metallic strip mounted on said insulation on the bottom of the trough, said strip being corrugated so as to expose all parts of an article passing thereover as they are moved along.

6.k In a plating machine Volf the character described, a spirallyy constructed trough, means forrotating said trough, au insulating member in the interior cfsaid trough, a roiigheiied contact strip mounted in the bottom of saidy trough, an annular contact ring electrically connected with said strip, and a stationary member for connecting said ring with a source or" electrical energy.

7. In an electrical plating device, a spiral trough formed with an Vinlet at one end and a bucket shaped portion at the opposite end, provided With a discharge chute positioned to receive the article from said last mentioned end and .discharge the articles under the action of gravity from the trough.

l 8.v In a plating machine of the character described a spiral trough formed with an adjacent one end of said trough, means for electricallyjconnecting said ring with said strip, and a brush member for connecting f a source of electrical energy With said ring.

WILLIAM DIETZEL.

insulation on the interiorr surface thereof,` 

